Press Releases

Chelsea Regan 10/16/2018 CSNews NATIONAL REPORT — Commonly referred to by its shorthand IoT, the Internet of Things is a shorthand in and of itself — a catchall term for connecting devices to the internet that, in turn, connect with each other. As both a concept and a practice, IoT has long been making headway in the retail space and is becoming increasingly important for convenience and fuel retailers to understand and use to their advantage. Connectivity through IoT makes it possible for retailers to more efficiently manage their sites, from revenue and security to fuel supply chain and food safety. It can provide real-time data, save energy, improve profitability and provide for a better customer experience. “The biggest threats to a c-store’s profitability are downtime and inefficiency,” Veeder-Root CEO Andrew Robinson told Convenience Store News. “In both cases, a connected system improves your visibility to operation status and allows…

Danielle Long August 2018 Luckin Coffee, the Chinese coffee company aiming to challenge Starbucks dominance in China, has announced plans to expand to light meals and snacks. The announcement comes days after Starbucks unveiled a major partnership with Alibaba, which will see the global coffee giant launch delivery services through Alibaba’s delivery service Ele.me. Luckin will add sandwiches, muffins, and salads to its menus and will offer a 50% discount on delivery and pick-up food items, as the company steps up its competition with Starbucks. Luckin Coffee, which officially launched in Beijing in January, has grown rapidly thanks to its heavily digital model, as well as focus on delivery and discounts. Customers can order via an app, watch their coffee being made via livestreaming video and have it delivered within 20 minutes. The company’s stores are a mix of large “relax” stores, coffee pick-up stores with minimal seating and delivery…

Angela Hanson 10/08/2018 CSNews LAS VEGAS — Developing a made-to-order foodservice program can enable convenience stores to refine their brand identity, increase sales and profit margins, and offer consumers something the competition can’t, but does that make every other prepared food program second best? Not so, according to the presenters at the 2018 NACS Show education session, “Is Made to Order Really For Me?” This session featured Jerry Weiner, president of Jerry Weiner Consulting; Courtney Williams, vice president of food and beverage at Family Express Corp.; and Ieva Grimm, president of SYNERGE, who also served as moderator. While made-to-order foodservice offers many benefits, the perception that it’s what all c-stores should be doing is inaccurate, according to Grimm. One foodservice format does not work for everyone, and retailers must decide for themselves whether made-to-order fits based on the location, size and needs of their store(s). “It is not the only…

Angela Hanson 10/15/2018 CSNews NATIONAL REPORT — Despite the headlines they’ve generated, alternative vehicles are not yet filling up the roads. Research presented at the Fuels Institute’s FUELS2018 event in May showed that electric vehicles (EVs) are a small portion of the total population on the road, with growth hampered by higher prices and limited availability. But slow growth isn’t no growth. And today’s technology is evolving faster than expected. As electric cars and connected cars begin to enter the mainstream, and consumers shift their approach to vehicle transportation, convenience store and fuel retailers will need to adapt or get left behind. “In order to survive, the modern c-store MUST evolve from the low-cost leader category of fuel to address what will get customers to stop in the future,” said Michael Johnson, vice president of North America for TLM Technologies Inc., which works with convenience and fuel retailers to develop…